


Two Breaths Walking

by kitadai



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Team Bonding, Translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22365526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitadai/pseuds/kitadai
Summary: "I am your teammate, so I will become even better for you."
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Two Breaths Walking

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [二息步行](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2152470) by [freeal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freeal/pseuds/freeal). 



> Original author's note:  
> Just a quick collection of unconnected vignettes.

_If I were to see you as my opponent, how would I attack?_

Even without Kageyama as his setter, Hinata’s speed and jumping ability were still not to be underestimated.

With this in mind, his gaze shifted to the other side of the net, towards Sugawara’s waiting form.

Compared to himself, Sugawara was a setter with a better understanding of his teammates’ abilities.

_Was he going to play a quick attack, or an ordinary attack?_

Across from him, Hinata wore a smug expression on his face, ready to take off at any moment. And what was more, Kageyama knew that he unwaveringly believed that as long as he jumped up, the ball would definitely reach his hand.

It was precisely because Hinata had been Kageyama’s partner-in-offense that Kageyama knew, with great clarity, the potential destructive power of his attacks.

This was the first time that Kageyama witnessed Hinata’s mesmerizing ability as decoy in person.

  
  


-

  
  


“Say, is Sugawara-senpai planning to go to university after graduation?”

In the middle of their usual mindless chatter, a junior had suddenly changed the subject and asked this.

“Huh?” At the side, Sugawara heard his own name and snapped back from his daydreaming, turning his head dazedly towards his juniors, whose faces were earnest and alight with anticipation at his answer. 

He shook his head perplexedly. “…Still undecided. I might go get a job instead. It really feels like I just blinked one day and somehow I’d already gotten to this stage in life, but I still hadn’t ever seriously thought about anything yet.”

“But if it’s Suga, university entrance exams won’t be anything too difficult either. Right?” Daichi interjected with a laugh.

Sugawara gave a slight, awkward smile. He didn’t say anything more, just turned his head again and stared, unfocused, somewhere off into the distance.

The subject was temporarily put to rest. Grape leaves swayed gently overhead, and it was incredibly cool in the shadows, with the added refreshing sensation of the smooth surface of the stone bench against their sweaty legs. It wasn’t yet insect season, and in that instant, the shaded area beneath the tree held an unbelievable tranquility.

From far-off, in the direction of Sugawara’s gaze, came the faint thuds of volleyballs against the gymnasium floor.

And then he said, “Don’t just talk about me. Daichi, you probably already have an idea of what you want to do, right?”

“Hey, why is the ball suddenly being passed to me.” Hearing this, the long-suffering team captain raised his arms in protest, before resigning himself to face his once-again curious juniors with a helpless laugh.

“‘Cause I’m a natural setter,” Sugawara shot back instantly.

“Seriously, I didn’t even call for a pass,” Daichi mumbled under his breath. It was not often that their beloved team captain would speak like this; in fact, it was only when talking to the other third years that he would occasionally grumble and complain as such.

Satisfied to see the juniors’ attention diverted away from him, Sugawara sat to one side and slurped the last of his slightly too-sweet drink. He couldn’t help but quietly consider the original question‒but of course, it wasn’t a matter that could be decided in an instant. Though it suddenly reminded him that he had something to discuss with Takinoue-senpai at the electronics store. 

On the other end of the stone bench, Daichi had finally managed to steer the topic away, having dodged the crucial question and avoided giving out a straightforward answer. Their juniors deflated visibly with disappointment, then sunk immediately into relief as they realized that they themselves would not have to agonize over such a dilemma for the time being.

Hearing Daichi’s exaggerated sigh, Sugawara snickered, reaching out to pat Daichi’s back. “Even when it’s like this, I’ll still continue to send the ball to you.” When Daichi turned to look at him, Sugawara widened his smile into a cheerful grin.

“Sorry for the inconvenience, but can you receive it one more time?”

  
  


-

  
  


_You’re my opponent, so how can I defeat you?_

‘Kageyama is a genius.’ This was a phrase that Hinata had already heard many times.

Even as his teammate, even as the other half of their infamous oddball quick, a deep admiration and amazement at Kageyama’s ability would still sweep his heart from time to time.

On the opposite side of the net, Kageyama maintained his calm and focused expression, the one he wore particularly during matches.

His fast and deadly accurate passing, lacking the arrogance of his past, meant that, by now, he had already become the type of attacker that most players aspired to be.

 _Where was Kageyama going to send the ball?_ Hinata understood that he needed to make a quick judgement and jump in advance‒

But the ball still effortlessly sailed over the net to his left. Kageyama had, in fact, not passed to anyone.

In the split second that he froze in the air, unblinking, unbreathing, Hinata understood the kind of fear and jealousy that the teams on the other side of the net felt towards Kageyama.

  
  


-

  
  


“Ukai-kun, do you remember that after you watched the match with the Neighbourhood Association, you once asked me whether Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun were old acquaintances?” 

The team was in the middle of a practice break. Upon hearing the person standing beside him suddenly begin to speak up under his breath, Ukai shifted his glance sideways, surprised.

“Oh? I said that? Take-sensei’s memory is pretty good.”

“It’s not like that, exactly…I was just thinking lately that for these children, the relationship between teammates is indeed very different than for others.”

“Ah, is that the case?” Ukai tugged at his chin thoughtfully.

Takeda self-consciously rubbed the back of his head. “I’m saying baffling things again, aren’t I? Ukai-kun, you must be thinking that I’m talking in circles again.” Saying this, he lowered his arms and grabbed the bottled mineral water by his feet, crushing the plastic in the constraint of his two hands.

“I’m not, I’m not. Honestly, I’m kind of a careless person so all the details I miss are left to you to fuss over anyways. But going back to that, what did you mean to say before, sensei?”

“Ah, it’s just that because I haven’t had much experience participating in team sports, so sometimes I unconsciously treat team camaraderie and friendships as the same thing.”

“What’s wrong about that? There’s not much difference between the two.”

“That might be true. But I’ve also been a teacher for many years, and in my experience, you see that high school friendships are generally built on sharing magazines, exchanging games, complaining about teachers, and eating lunch together.”

“Naturally,” Ukai said, chuckling. “Back in the day, I did steal a lot of _tempura_ from my seatmate’s lunches. It was first-grade quality.”

Takeda gently laughed. “Right. But for these kids, their relationships weren’t developed that way.” 

He pointed to the side of the court, where Karasuno’s oddball duo were buried in an intense discussion about the angle of the volleyball. “Let’s take Hinata and Kageyama as an example. At the time, they hadn’t known each other for very long and their personalities clashed terribly, but when it came to forming an offensive team, they still managed to have an unbelievable inherent understanding of each other. Hinata-kun essentially has an unconditional belief in Kageyama-kun’s setting.”

Ukai sighed. “If only that kid would use his head more to play volleyball.”

“Actually, how could this not be considered a strength?” Takeda smiled lightly. “Moreover, what Kageyama-kun said to Hinata-kun back then was, _‘As long as I’m here, you’re invincible’_ , but wasn’t he really saying, _‘I am certain of your ability, I trust you, so please also rely on me without hesitation’_?”

A thoughtful expression began to form on Ukai’s face, but he only let out a mild complaint, “That Kageyama truly is an incredibly self-confident guy.” 

“How do I put it, it somewhat reminds me of the team activities where one person falls backwards and the others in the group have to catch him.”

“Those are to develop trust, aren’t they?”

“Yes, trust in relationships. Actually, I think a comparison to fellow soldiers in war would be better. In battle, they deliver boxes of cartridge bullets to each other and guard one another’s backs from the enemy. This is a kind of relationship that doesn’t need magazines, games, or lunchtimes together to develop very deep bonds.”

Ukai looked a little surprised. “Sensei, you don’t seem like the person who would use these types of metaphors.”

“What, it’s not like I huddle over a collection of _Man’yoshu_ all day.”

Ukai rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “If you put it that way, it really is true. From the very beginning, these relationships are unique and extraordinary. What they lack in the familiarity of ordinary friends, they make up for in intimate mutual understanding and brotherhood.”

As Ukai spoke these words, Takeda seemed to realize some new feelings and gripped his arms excitedly. 

He nodded and openly beamed, saying, “Well said, Ukai-kun. It seems like you’ve had some personal experience, but for outsiders like me, it is indeed difficult to talk about these types of wonderful and beautiful relationships.”

This was just careless praise, but it left Ukai feeling strangely self-conscious. He licked his lips and looked around in all four directions before finding his target, shooting an unbelievably loud roar in Hinata’s direction. 

“Oi! Hinata! No quicks ‘till you’ve finished your receiving practice! Hurry up and do it! Kageyama! Practice your serves! The rest of you, small team practices will start in a bit!”

His words sent the oddball duo into a flurry of motion. Takeda looked over at them and released an inexplicably pleased sigh from the depths of his chest. He uncapped his mineral water and took a shallow sip.

  
  


-

  
  


Blowing a shrill whistle, Ukai clapped his hands and announced loudly to the court, “Okay, that’s the end of the game. Kageyama, Hinata, you’ll be a team with Daichi. Continue playing.”

With that, he gestured for the game to start and folded his arms to watch them play.

“Let me see your teamwork.”

  
  


-

  
  


“Tsukki, what do you wanna eat for lunch?”

“Up to you.”

“Then, let’s eat _yakisoba pan_ today. Even though it’s not the most popular option, I’m not sure if there’ll still be any left since we’re already kinda late.”

“If you have the time to consider all this, we might as well just go already.”

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi continued to bicker quietly as they walked side by side towards the food stall. Suddenly, Yamaguchi peered over Tsukishima’s shoulder, looking somewhere to the side.

“Tsukki, isn’t that Sawamura-san?”

“Huh?” Tsukishima turned his head around somewhat annoyedly. The hallways during lunch break were as busy as ever, which made it difficult to focus on one particular place at a time.

But before long, a noisy cluster of students caught his attention. 

It was‒two third years in the middle of a fight.

“Wow, it really is Sawamura-san,” Tsukishima said coolly.

Yamaguchi was staring in shock at the other third year. “Isn’t that the captain of the basketball team? Are they‒?”

At that instant, the sound of the two third years’ voices...that is, the sound of their argument carried over, drowning out Yamaguchi’s uncertain question.

“...This year, a bunch of really talented first years joined our team!”

“You think our basketball team doesn’t have any really outstanding firsties? Damn you! Don’t look down on us!”

“Michimiya already told me! Those first years don’t listen to you at all!”

“Shut up! You really love to listen to gossip, don’t you, you two-faced guy!”

“What? You gorilla!”

“That Kaiser roll is mine!”

“No, it should be mine!”

Spouting elementary-grade school insults at each other, the two captains pulled and dragged each other along. The basketball team captain naturally pushed forward in offence while Sawamura, not to be outdone, smoothly sunk into a sturdy volleyball stance.

As they pushed and shoved each other, neither willing to back down, the two cleared a wide and unmistakable path down the busy hall. 

Tsukishima watched them serenely, then opened his mouth.

“Ah.”

Just as Tsukishima quietly cleared his throat, the two captains’ movements simultaneously froze. 

Sawamura stared blankly at his elbow. And the red button beneath his elbow.

In the next moment, the fire alarm sounded throughout the entire school building.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi let out twin snickers.

“…Let’s go. I wanna try that Kaiser roll.”

Maintaining a mocking smirk on his face, Tsukishima grabbed Yamaguchi by the elbow and strode forward to the sound of the still-ringing fire alarm.

  
  


-

  
  


_You are my incredible teammate_.

Ukai’s intention was very clear. Even after their specialized individual trainings, Hinata and Kageyama would still need a lot of time and practice in order to mesh together perfectly.

They both faced a brand-new partner, but old habits would always be hard to get rid of.

 _Their rhythm wasn’t right_ , Kageyama thought silently. He still hadn’t completely adapted to the new changes. The problem wasn’t only the accuracy of his setting, but also Hinata, whose dominance in the air was growing stronger and stronger, and his incredibly rapid growth. But wasn’t Kageyama’s new training intended to match this? Even so, Kageyama felt unsteady about the whole thing, as if they were treading water in the dark. Who knew what kind of stumbling block they would eventually encounter, or how hard the fall would be?

With two hands resting like weights on his knees, Hinata panted heavily and wiped the sweat away from his chin. His mid-air battles would now be very different from the past. He couldn’t be completely dependent on Kageyama’s sets anymore, since those battles weren’t ever Kageyama’s to begin with. It was _his_ battlefield once in the air. 

But this wasn’t easy. The game data that had been processed and analyzed thoroughly by Kageyama would now fall to him to consciously and actively understand, and this would only be the beginning of everything.

Another opportunity of attack opened up, and Hinata’s eyes swiftly locked down Kageyama’s position, who was, as always, calmly observing and assessing the situation on the court. 

_I can do it._ With a split-second glance to the other side, Hinata made a quick judgement. If he took off from the baseline close to the net, they might manage it with a bit of difficulty...did he want to fight and snatch the decision away from Kageyama’s hands this time?

At the moment he jumped, Hinata felt the strong presence of Kageyama at his side. He didn’t know if his attack this time would be successful, but he still shouted with all his might, an attacker who announced his presence clearly while simultaneously raising a challenge to his partner.

_I trust that you will bring the ball straight into my hand, and I won’t ever let you down._

_Kageyama, prove to me now that you really are that genius!_

  
  


-

  
  


“Asahi-san! Here!”

At the other end of the gym, Tanaka waved a towel in a frantic dance, full of energy as if he hadn’t just been through several grueling hours of practice. “They were clearing the court earlier, so I just moved our stuff over here,” he said.

“Oh, thanks.” Karasuno’s ace accepted a sports drink from Ennoshita and took a gulp, licking his salty lips.

“Asahi-san’s success rate was pretty high today!” Tanaka said excitedly, jumping up and swinging his arm in imitation of the powerful spike that had broken through three blockers.

“No, no, it was just luck.” 

“Asahi-san, no one appreciates a cowardly ace!” Their libero, who had just joined them from the court, reprimanded him without any real malice behind his words, Asahi’s eyes quickly flickering away. He grabbed a towel and wiped away his sweat, then grinned widely and said without hesitation, “You played really well today! The connection between your jump and spike was good!”

“Even Nishinoya agrees,” Ennoshita pointed out, nodding his head.

“Ah, this…”

Just as Azumane meekly ducked his head, not knowing how to reply, Tanaka approached him once again with his typical fiery enthusiasm. “So, what’s the trick? Do you delay your jump a little? Or is it…?”

“Actually, there really isn’t much of a trick,” Azumane said honestly, taking another sip of his drink, feeling the cool liquid soothe his dry throat. “Just when I spike, besides the ball, I think of something to pump myself up.” 

“Oh, me too! Sometimes, I imagine the ball as a giant meatball stuffed with a lot of mushrooms…”

“Asahi-san probably doesn’t mean it like that,” Ennoshita said half-heartedly, but Nishinoya appeared to have received some degree of inspiration, his spine straightening.

Turning his head to stare at a volleyball that had fallen near the net, Azumane continued, “It’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but I used to always think, _‘If I don’t perform well, if I can’t break through the block, then Nishinoya will be unhappy’._ That kind of thing.” 

“I’m only angry when I know you haven’t reached your true potential,” Nishinoya said fiercely.

“I know that.” Azumane smiled self-consciously. “Though I recently realized that compared to using fear, using my teammates’ amazing performances on the court is a much better way to motivate myself.” 

Tanaka considered his words for a moment and burst out, “Oh! It’s like it sets your entire being on fire!”

“Mm, for example, after thinking of how Nishinoya saves blocked balls like magic, and how the entire stadium goes silent for a moment before exploding into a cheer, one feels completely light and your actions become more agile, too.”

“Though if Asahi-san successfully breaks through all the blocks, then there’d be no need to save them,” Ennoshita joked.

“That’s right,” Nishinoya interjected, “but speaking as a libero, it’s also good and inspiring to see our ace successfully complete an attack.”

The short practice break neared its end. The small group at the side put down their water bottles and towels and headed towards the centre of the gym, where Ukai was calling for a team huddle.

As they walked, Ennoshita said, “Asahi-san, so you basically realized, _‘I_ _have such reliable and amazing teammates’_ , right?”

  
  


-

  
  


_I am your teammate, so I will become even better for you._

It was at the moment that Hinata jumped, as he used his entire body to call for a set, that Kageyama could hear his breaths.

He could sense every detail of his partner’s movements, as if they were breathing together.

Hinata’s rhythm thudded along in Kageyama’s veins, telling him when to raise his two hands and to set at the exact moment the spiker needed it.

 _It would stop at that point_. Hinata’s right hand, and the ball, would stop at that point.

Kageyama let out a soft breath. The volleyball left his fingertips.

‒ _and the ball will come to my hand_.

As if he had heard the whispered intentions in Kageyama’s movements, Hinata felt it. He exhaled.

Jumping was very comforting. Every time, it was like a leap to take off into the sky, bringing him closer to the battlefield of the skies.

Above his head, the ball froze its rotation in mid-air, and then slowly began to fall down.

Finally‒a ball that stopped in an instant!

_Ah, how satisfying._

This ball, this type of set would transfer the battle from Kageyama’s into Hinata’s hands. Here was the moment where Hinata would succeed his teammate and continue their shared battle.

Hinata opened his eyes wide, and found that he could see every little detail of the scenery on the other side of the net from his view at the top.

There wouldn’t be any problem at all.

  
  


-

  
  


“…Unbelievable…”

“Hm?” 

The gentle voice of Karasuno’s charming manager broke into Sawamura’s thoughts. He came back to himself and embarrassedly patted the back of his head. “Ah, don’t mind me, don’t mind me. These things slip out sometimes. I was just talking aloud to myself.”

Shimizu turned to look at the court. “It’s about Kageyama-kun and Hinata-kun, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. Thinking about what they were like when they first applied to join this team to the way they are now, I can’t help but think that they’re really unbelievable.”

Silence filled the space between the two for a moment. Just as Sawamura thought that he probably wasn’t going to get a response, Shimizu, who had been observing the court beside him, suddenly said softly, “…Close to the ground.”

“Ah?”

“Nishinoya is always the closest one to the ground.”

Following this statement, Sawamura’s eyes shifted over to said libero, who was standing firmly on the court, his stance stable and his arms open and ready. His silhouette was small under the vast ceiling of the gym, yet his presence seemed to cover the entire expanse of the back court.

“Isn’t that because he’s the libero?”

“His defense is covering the entire ground. Like he’s the Guardian Deity of the court.”

“That metaphor…is actually really fitting.”

“Kageyama-kun and Sugawara are like the lighthouses of the court.”

“Oh…” _Lighthouses?_ _They_ were _like lighthouses, weren’t they?_ As long as there was a setter to pass and connect the team, the spikers would never lose their direction. No matter where they were on the court, the ball would always come to their hand. That feeling of reliability wasn’t one unfamiliar to Sawamura.

A slow and quiet smile spread across the face of Karasuno’s captain.

Their conversation continued quietly on the sidelines.

“Hinata-kun is like a very small bird. Disappearing without a trace in an instant, and just as you think you’ve gotten close, he’s probably already flying off to some far-off place.”

Although it was just an analogy, Sawamura thought he could sense a hint of pity in Shimizu’s sentence. _Where else would you meet a bird like Hinata, one that would refuse to be fed?_ he thought.

“Tsukishima-kun is a tall and expansive wall, Sawamura the stable and steady foundation. And Azumane, the final weapon in a siege.”

 _She deliberately skipped over Tanaka_ … _what stupid thing did that dumbass do this time?_ Sawamura internally groaned.

After calmly observing the players on the court for a quiet moment, Shimizu spoke once again, “…building up little by little.” She brushed a stray lock of hair by her temples behind her ear, tilting her head slightly, and said in a soft voice infused with affection, “It truly...is unbelievable.”

In silence, Sawamura’s gaze swept over his teammates, one by one. He remembered joining the volleyball team in first year, that unstoppable joy that leapt continuously from his chest, and then in second year, watching the third years graduate and move on and experiencing himself, for the first time, the sourness of disappointment and loss.

Finally, his thoughts returned to recent events. He remembered taking the thin stack of this year’s application forms from Shimizu’s hands, seeing the two new first years fight and bicker into a stalemate, and then witnessing their transformation into the miraculous duo in the gymnasium that he had sweat and cried in for the last two years.

Now, at this moment, right in front of him, Hinata was flying high.

Kageyama glanced backwards and gave a slight flick of his wrists, shooting the volleyball straight to meet Hinata’s palm with deadly, absolute precision.

 _Thump_ ‒

“Nice attack!”

“It is.” 

Sawamura squinted his eyes, tilting his head up to meet the golden light slanting through the top window of the gymnasium. After more than two years, this sight was now as familiar as the back of his own hand.

 _Yes, how incredible it was_.

  
  


-

  
  


_…You and I, we are inseparable._

_We are like the right eye and left eye, right hand and left hand._

_I am your teammate, connected by the blood flowing in our veins, taking in a breath as one. A set…and then a spike!_

_I am your rival, never tiring of our competition. If you are the firm and steady right leg that strides forward without hesitation, then I am the left leg that follows right behind._

_You and I, we will never budge a single inch for the other, forever urging the other, racing the other…forward! Faster, even faster…_

_We will always be pursuing each other and leading the other forward as one. And as we chase each other‒_

_‒we will start sprinting._

**Author's Note:**

> with the end of the manga approaching, i thought this sweet gen fic would be perfect :') thank u [freeal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freeal/pseuds/freeal) for giving me permission to translate their wonderful fic!!
> 
> find me on my main @saltins!!


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